Crisis Comms to Global Influence: Analyzing Jacinda Ardern's Digital Footprint and Content Strategy

The release of A Different Kind of Power, the memoir by former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, invites a timely reflection on her time in office. This book, arriving in 2025, offers a unique lens for those in UX content and social media strategy. It reveals how Ardern’s leadership and image significantly influenced New Zealand’s worldwide standing and reshaped public perception of female leadership. At the core of her approach was empathy, a strategy that, like good UX design, aimed to provide clarity and a feeling of being heard and seen among the New Zealand population.

Jacinda Ardern in 2022 (Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)

Ardern’s political journey defied expectation. She learned to embrace the unexpected, a hallmark of her career. Her memoir offers a look into a leadership style that challenged traditional competitive politics. Instead, Ardern offered kindness and empathy. This approach showed its true strength after the Christchurch terrorist attack in 2019. When anti-immigrant sentiments grew, Ardern embraced the victims. “They are us,” she declared. Her communication guided emotions towards shared grief and aroha.

This empathetic approach became a core part of her public image. A journalist once asked what she wanted to achieve as prime minister. Ardern replied, “I want this government to feel different… I want people to feel that it is open, that it is listening, that it is going to bring kindness back.” This reflected a deliberate communication strategy aimed at creating a government that felt approachable and responsive. She used her perceived sensitivity as a strength, deflecting criticisms about being "thin-skinned" or "emotional."

However, this "different kind of power" had its limits. As a political virtue, empathy can be partial. It often touches those whose suffering commands immediate attention. Leaders must also ensure public goods are delivered equitably, which demands rational planning. Sometimes, national emergencies require actions that may feel unfair or insensitive to some.

The COVID-19 pandemic became such an emergency. Ardern put herself daily at the center of New Zealand’s response. She patiently explained public health measures. Her government took strong decisions, including closing borders, aiming to protect lives and allow inhabitants to live “normally” during the health crisis. This approach led to low mortality rates and significant public support, culminating in a landslide election victory in 2020. Her communication during this time focused on clarity and direct updates, giving citizens a sense of control and understanding in an uncertain environment. This created a strong bond with the public, reinforcing the feeling that "we are a team of five million."

Despite this initial success, the pandemic's prolonged impact brought challenges. Many New Zealanders, whose businesses shut down or who faced isolation, felt a lack of empathy from their government. Unvaccinated people felt ostracized, leading to dissent. Ardern refused to meet these protestors, stating she could not send a message that illegal occupation led to demands being met. This refusal to listen to deeper shifts in public opinion later affected Labour's standing. While her goal was to prevent validating illegal actions, it also left room for opposition figures to exploit the sentiment of unheard grievances. This shows the constant challenge in social media and public relations: balancing a consistent message with the need to respond to evolving public sentiment.

Ardern’s management of her own public image also involved strategic choices. She learned early to deflect derogatory comments, responding in ways that "took the story nowhere." She avoided making feminism her ideological platform, preventing her from becoming a larger target for culture warriors. This demonstrates a keen understanding of public relations and social media management – controlling the narrative by choosing how to react to negativity.

Her resignation in 2023, partly influenced by the toll of leadership and a personal health scare, was also a strategic act. She believed it would "take the heat out of the politics" and benefit her party. This shows a leader making decisions about her public role and impact, even when stepping away from the highest office.

Jacinda Ardern’s management of her public image and leadership offers a practical masterclass in creating public adhesion. Her strategic communication during the COVID-19 crisis, with daily updates and clear decisions like border closures, created a sense of empathy and collective purpose among New Zealanders. Her approach to handling dissent, while critiqued, reflected a leader's attempt to control a narrative. Her overall focus on being open and listening, and her ability to simplify complex situations for public understanding, highlights how genuine human connection, delivered through clear communication, can build a powerful sense of empathy and public adhesion, even in the face of significant challenges and eventually, political setbacks.